WE ARE STRONG!

Stories of the victims

WE ARE STRONG!

Stories of the victims

What is Human Trafficking?

A definition of Human Trafficking is as follows: organized criminal activity in which human beings are treated as possessions to be controlled and exploited ( by being forced into prostitution or forced labor)

Here Our Story!

Martina Okeke

Martina came to American with the promise that she would be paid $300 a month along with her children's schooling would be paid for in exchange for moving to american to care for a Nigerian couples children. None of this happened. For 12 years she worked without a day off and did not see a single cent of that promised payment. The Mbadiwes told her she would get the money when she went back home to Nigeria. So Martina said she wanted to go back. Then the Mbadiwes changed their story so she would get the money when she was actually back in Nigeria. How was Martina supposed to buy a plane ticket to go all the way to Nigeria without any money? She is now 68 years old and has been in American for 25 years. She has not seen her children and family sense the day she left in 1988. Now Martina lives in the basement of a friends living on $100 a week and whatever else she can get out of pop cans from neighbors garbage. She will most likely never see her children and family again.

Meena Khatun

Meena lives in India. She was kidnapped from her vilage at a very young age. When she was 11 she was put into a brothel consisting of only 13 girls. She had been locked in a room with a MUCH older man, he had bought her virginity. Meena fought back and was severely punished. She was beaten with anything they could grab, such as sticks, belts, and iron bars. As she got older she was forced to have children. Niana was her first child then her brother Vivek was born a year later. Meena escaped and married a pharmacist. She would go back to the terrible people who had done those awful things to her and begged for her children back. Vivek had eventually escaped and found his mother. Meena and her son received help from the Apne Aap activist group against human trafficking. With their help in cooperation with the police a raid of the brothel was conducted and Niana has been returned to her family.

Ana Cristibel Sandoval

Ana was sold into Human Trafficking as a very young girl. She was sold by her parents. She was drugged, raped, abused, and taken to Pheonix, Arizona. That is where she was rescued at the age of 15. She was evaluated and the decision was made to keep her in the U.S. because her home town of Honduras was NOT and option. Ana was placed into a good home, she eventually found someone to love, and now has a beautiful family starting with her son. The Department of Homeland Security is fighting tooth and nail to get Ana deported and to take away her son. Why? because she is now 19 and is no longer a minor. The Department of Health and Human Services has authority over Ana and made the decision to keep her in the U.S. Therefore immigration should be leaving her alone, but they are not. Eventually Ana was able to stay the U.S. but her lawyer had to pull some very LARGE strings. Ana is now safe with her son and boyfriend but she is still very cautious about immigration.

Martina Okeke

Martina came to American with the promise that she would be paid $300 a month along with her children's schooling would be paid for in exchange for moving to american to care for a Nigerian couples children. None of this happened. For 12 years she worked without a day off and did not see a single cent of that promised payment. The Mbadiwes told her she would get the money when she went back home to Nigeria. So Martina said she wanted to go back. Then the Mbadiwes changed their story so she would get the money when she was actually back in Nigeria. How was Martina supposed to buy a plane ticket to go all the way to Nigeria without any money? She is now 68 years old and has been in American for 25 years. She has not seen her children and family sense the day she left in 1988. Now Martina lives in the basement of a friends living on $100 a week and whatever else she can get out of pop cans from neighbors garbage. She will most likely never see her children and family again.

Meena Khatun

Meena lives in India. She was kidnapped from her vilage at a very young age. When she was 11 she was put into a brothel consisting of only 13 girls. She had been locked in a room with a MUCH older man, he had bought her virginity. Meena fought back and was severely punished. She was beaten with anything they could grab, such as sticks, belts, and iron bars. As she got older she was forced to have children. Niana was her first child then her brother Vivek was born a year later. Meena escaped and married a pharmacist. She would go back to the terrible people who had done those awful things to her and begged for her children back. Vivek had eventually escaped and found his mother. Meena and her son received help from the Apne Aap activist group against human trafficking. With their help in cooperation with the police a raid of the brothel was conducted and Niana has been returned to her family.

Ana Cristibel Sandoval

Ana was sold into Human Trafficking as a very young girl. She was sold by her parents. She was drugged, raped, abused, and taken to Pheonix, Arizona. That is where she was rescued at the age of 15. She was evaluated and the decision was made to keep her in the U.S. because her home town of Honduras was NOT and option. Ana was placed into a good home, she eventually found someone to love, and now has a beautiful family starting with her son. The Department of Homeland Security is fighting tooth and nail to get Ana deported and to take away her son. Why? because she is now 19 and is no longer a minor. The Department of Health and Human Services has authority over Ana and made the decision to keep her in the U.S. Therefore immigration should be leaving her alone, but they are not. Eventually Ana was able to stay the U.S. but her lawyer had to pull some very LARGE strings. Ana is now safe with her son and boyfriend but she is still very cautious about immigration.